Physicians Still Unclear on ACA; Resources Available

[MMA News Now, Feb. 20, 2014] Nearly 85 percent of physicians say they don’t have enough information about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to answer patients’ questions or understand its impact on their practices, according to a recent survey. To help counteract this, the AMA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the MMA offer resources to help ease the transition for your patients and practice.

Physicians can download an AMA fact sheet for information about the ACA rollout, including information about the new insurance exchanges, Medicare benefits and the individual mandate. An accompanying FAQ document provides answers to common questions from patients.

The HHS also offers a patient brochure about the health insurance exchanges, guidance on how the Healthcare.gov website works, and a patient pocket card listing relevant websites and phone numbers.

A new checklist, developed by the AMA and the Medical Group Management Association, identifies six actions that can ease some of the administrative challenges physicians and their patients may face during this implementation phase. The checklist includes recommendations on training staff, discussing cost information with patients and understanding your state’s essential health benefits.

In addition, the MMA published a special issue last December that provides information for Minnesota physicians on the ACA.